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DAHG NEWSLETTER Arts, Commemorations and Heritage Issue 1 September/October 2015

Culture 2025

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, has launched a Discussion Document and consultation process which will inform the development of ‘Culture 2025’, Ireland’s first ever national policy, which will set high level aims for the arts and culture sector over the next decade. Minister Humphreys said: “If we want to protect and promote our unique and varied culture, and encourage new cultural forms to flourish, we need to aim high. Culture 2025 will be Ireland’s first ever national cultural policy. As a high level document, the policy will set a framework for future strategies and plans in specific areas. It will be underpinned by the principle of upholding and supporting artistic freedom. The policy will also examine what challenges and opportunities are presented for culture in the digital age, and how the arts and culture can help to combat disadvantage. “Ultimately, the development of our first ever cultural policy should be seen as an opportunity to increase participation in the arts across all strands of society. We are embarking on a nationwide consultation process to spark discussion and debate on how we should shape Ireland’s first national cultural policy. I want this policy to be led by those involved in the sector, those who are passionate about the arts, and I am encouraging members of the public to make their views known.” Submissions can be made to the cultural policy until the end of October 2015 at: http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/Culture/Culture2025/

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The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme

The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme is an invitation to everyone on the island of Ireland and to the global Irish community to get involved in a diverse range of events and initiatives to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Rising, reflect on our achievements over the last 100 years, and consider what we want to achieve for the future.

The Programme is built on seven programme strands:

State Ceremonial – More than 40 State ceremonial events are planned to remember and honour those who took part in the Easter Rising and those who gave their lives. The State Ceremonial Programme began on 1st August 2015 with a State commemoration of the funeral of O'Donovan Rossa in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Historical Reflection – A range of history-based activities and initiatives, designed to deepen and broaden our understanding of the events of 1916 and of that pivotal period in our history.

An Teanga Bheo – We will reflect on the central place of the Irish language in the ideals of the revolutionary generation and celebrate the language through a diverse programme of events.

Youth and Imagination – We are placing children and young people at the centre of the centenary programme, by integrating historical exploration with a range of imaginative activities.

Cultural Expression – Working with our creative community, our National Cultural Institutions and other arts organisations to reflect on our past, our present and our future, with a focus on 1916.

Community Participation – Local authorities have consulted widely with local interest groups, historical societies, community organisations, and other stakeholders in relation to the development of county plans of locally based events and activities to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Global and Diaspora –Ireland’s Embassies and Consulates are engaging with the Irish Diaspora and local communities across the world to ensure global participation in commemorations and celebrations to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising.

IN FOCUS: The 2016 Schools Programme: One

of the most important aspects of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme is the schools programme, which was launched in September 2015.

We want to capture the imagination of our young people so that they may better understand the events of 1916, as well as the stories of their own towns and communities, and indeed their own families, during that period of our history.

We will be reaching into every school in the country, and highlights of the schools programme include:

Proclamation for a New Generation: will help students gain a deep understanding of the Proclamation through an ‘action learning’ project which will invite all primary and post-primary schools to write a proclamation for their own school, to reflect the values, hopes and aspirations of the generation of 2016, starting with an analysis of the ideals, principles and aspirations of the 1916 Proclamation.

The 1916 Ancestry Project: will invite all primary and post primary pupils to trace a family tree back to 1916. Schools will be encouraged to use resources such as the 1911 census, military archives and church records, and to forge links with local historical societies, active retirement groups, relatives of those who participated in the 1916 Rising, and other local groups to help inform their research, thus fostering inter-generational and community learning.

Proclamation Day 2016: will take place in all educational institutions on 15th March 2016, including pre-schools, schools, further and higher education institutions. The day will start with the raising of the flag followed by a reading of the Proclamation. Schools will also use the occasion to display the results of their Proclamation for a new Generation, and 1916 Ancestry projects, along with other arts and drama initiatives, and invite parents and the com-munity to see the results of their work.

A number of exciting all-island competitions for schools will also take place in partnership with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. The competitions will cover song, art, drama and history and will be open to primary and post-primary schools across the island of Ireland.

Further information: www.ireland.ie

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Support for the Arts

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht provides direct and indirect supports to arts and arts organisations in a variety of ways.

The Arts Council: Primary responsibility for the promotion of the arts and Government funding for the arts is generally channelled through the Arts Council which, although funded by the Department, is completely independent in its funding allocations. In 2015, more than €58.59 million was allocated to the Arts Council; an increase of €2 million on the 2014 allocation. The Minister recently published a value for money and policy review of the Arts Council which can be accessed here: http://www.ahg.gov.ie/app/uploads/2015/09/value-for-money-and-policy-review-of-the-arts-council1.pdf

Artists’ tax exemption The Government introduced a 25% increase in the artists' tax exemption for 2015. This important measure recognises the invaluable contribution which arts and culture practitioners make here at home and abroad. The scheme ensures that Ireland continues to be a place where the work of artists is valued, and where their place in society is assured. Cultural Institutions The Department provides ongoing financial support to our National Cultural Institutions including, for example, the National Library of Ireland, the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Crawford Gallery in Cork. The biggest ever refurbishment of the National Gallery is currently underway, which will see it transformed into a world class exhibition space.

Culture Ireland Culture Ireland is the division of the Department responsible for the promotion of the arts and artists overseas. Culture Ireland creates and supports opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present their work at strategic international showcases, festivals, venues and arts markets and support artists right across the creative spectrum including visual art, theatre, literature, music, dance, opera and film.

Music Capital Scheme The Music Capital Scheme is supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and managed by Music Network. It provides funding for the purchase of musical instruments to both non-professional performing groups/ensembles and professional musicians. Applications for funding to the current scheme can be made until October 15th 2015. Further details can be found at: http://www.musicnetwork.ie/musicians/funding/

Minister Humphreys with Dr. Sandra Collins, Director of the National Library of Ireland, at the recent launch of the Library’s annual review

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IN FOCUS: The Irish Animation Sector: The Irish audio visual sector is thriving, encompassing the film, TV and animation industries and supporting up to 6,000 jobs.

Irish animation sector accounts for about 1,500 of these jobs. The animation sector is highly international

and is making a significant impact on the global animation scene.

The Government provides direct financial support for the animation sector through the Irish Film Board,

which is funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Irish animation companies are becoming more export focused, providing award-winning content that is

bought by companies such as Disney, Nickelodeon and the BBC and viewed by millions in over 130

territories worldwide.

Supports for the film sector

As part of Budget 2015, the Government improved the Section 481 Film Tax Relief Scheme, which

will have a direct impact on the animation sector

The changes to Section 481 extends the scheme until the end of 2020 and will increases its value to

32% of qualifying expenditure, up from the previous value of 28%.

International promotional support for the industry at major international markets and festivals

from EI and the IFB

Investment in training is available through Screen Training Ireland, funded by the IFB and

Animation Skillnets (funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Education

and Skills). See below for more info

Screen Training Ireland: Skills needs in the audio visual sector are highly specialised, and can change quite

rapidly due to fast-paced technological changes. Screen Training Ireland (STI), the training arm of the Irish

Film Board, provides training across all sectors of the industry and is particularly active in the area of digital

production, which includes animation. Over the past number of years, STI has trained almost 1,500

professionals at all levels in the animation industry, from graduates entering the industry to animation

CEOs.

Minister Humphreys

visiting the Kilkenny-

based company

Cartoon Saloon, which

has garnered national

and international

acclaim; most recently

when it was nominated

for an Oscar for Song of

the Sea.

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Natural Heritage – Supporting our Peatlands

Peatlands are considered to be one of the world’s most important ecosystems, because they enhance our biodiversity, help to regulate our climate and support water filtration. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is committed not only to safeguarding our peatlands, but also to promoting them as sustainable tourism resources. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) section of the Department manages the Irish State's nature conservation responsibilities under national and European law. A particular responsibility of the NPWS is the designation and protection of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs). (www.npws.ie )

IN FOCUS: Clara Bog Visitor Centre and Ballycroy National Park In County Offaly, the award-winning Clara Bog Visitor Centre offers visitors a fascinating insight into the bog. The interactive interpretive area covers themes such as the development of peatlands; biodiversity of raised bogs; the history and archaeology associated with raised bogs; and some unique facts about Clara Bog. The Visitor Centre offers walks, talks, workshops and other educational activities for adults and children. Clara Bog Nature Reserve is 464 hectares of raised bog with evident lag and soak systems. The nature reserve is home to many protected wildlife species. The installation of a 1km-looped timber boardwalk walk with interpretive panels at Clara Bog has provided for local recreation and is an excellent example of how protecting the natural environment can complement the promotion of rural areas as tourist destinations.

Located on the western seaboard in northwest Mayo, Ballycroy National Park is a unique and distinct landscape comprised of 11,000 hectares of Atlantic blanket bog and mountainous terrain, covering a vast uninhabited and unspoilt wilderness. Dominated by the Nephin Beg Mountain Range, the Park includes Owenduff bog, one of the last intact active blanket bog systems not only in Ireland but Western Europe.

The impressive Visitor Centre houses an interactive exhibition on the special landscape, habitats and species of the national park. There is a short nature trail (Tóchar Daithí Bán) with a viewing point which offers stunning

panoramic views of Achill Island to the West and the Nephin Beg Mountain Range to the East.

Through its Education Centre, the Park aims to raise awareness of the natural world and of conservation. Programmes are free of charge to schools, and to the general public. Many are site specific, such as the bogs/peatlands workshop with special emphasis on the plants and animals found within the habitat.

The Park provides bog ecology and geography fieldwork to secondary schools and runs special programmes that can be tailored to suit necessary requirements. This could involve talks, walks and indoor and outdoor activities.

Access to the National Park itself can be gained by walking along the Bangor Trail.

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Protecting our Built Heritage

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht develops, promotes and implements policies and legislation for the protection of architectural heritage, and to promote best practice in modern architecture. The Department is also responsible for the protection for Ireland's archaeological heritage, through a range of measures and interventions at both policy and operational levels. Structures at Risk Fund: In 2015 the Department ran a Structures at Risk Fund (SRF), with an allocation of €624,000. The fund will enable conservation works to twenty-eight heritage structures throughout the country, in both private and public ownership, which are protected under the Planning and Development Acts, and deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. The SRF, which is being administered through the local authorities, encourages the regeneration and reuse of heritage properties and helps to secure the preservation of protected structures, which might otherwise be lost. Since 2011, almost 130 structures have been safeguarded for the future as a result of the Structures at Risk Fund. The Heritage Council: The Heritage Council, which the Department funds, recently awarded funding of €547,000 to 197 heritage projects nationwide under its 2015 Community-based Heritage Grants Scheme. The scheme supports the continuing conservation and development of Irish heritage through local community based groups and is run on an annual basis. On-going updates on programmes run by the Heritage Council can be found at www.heritagecouncil.ie. Section 482 Section 482 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, provides tax relief to the owner/occupier of an approved building (including surrounding garden), or an approved garden existing independently, in respect of expenditure incurred on its repair, maintenance or restoration. An application may be made to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for a determination that the building and/or garden is/are intrinsically of significant horticultural, scientific, historical, architectural or aesthetic interest along with an application to the Revenue Commissioners for a determination that the building and/or garden will be afforded reasonable access by the public. Further details can be found on the DAHG website www.ahg.gov.ie

Governor’s House, Nenagh Prison, North Tipperary.

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Contact Us

Contact Details

The Department's main contact details are as follows: 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 - D02 TD30 - (01) 631 3800/ LoCall 1890 383 000 Custom House, Dublin 1 - D01 W6XO - (01) 888 2000/ LoCall 1890 202021 New Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry - V93 A49X- (064) 662 7300/ LoCall 1890 273 000 Press & Information Office - (01) 631 3807/ 631 3838 Newtown Road, Wexford - Y35 AP90- (053) 911 7500/ LoCall 1890 202021 Na Forbacha, Co. Galway - H91 KX39 (091) 592 555/ 503 700/ LoCall 1890 201 401 National Parks and Wildlife Service, 7 Ely Place Dublin 2 D02 TW98- (01) 888 3242/LoCall 1890 383 000 Email Contacts Press Office: press.office@ahg.gov.ie Customer Service: customer.service@ahg.gov.ie Website Queries: Webmaster@ahg.gov.ie

An Ghaeilge ar bharr na dTonn ...i gContae Maigh Éo Leagan Béarla

A grant was approved to enable Coláiste UISCE, An Eachléim, Co. Mayo, to run a specific Irish course again this year that will be directed at Gaeltacht teenagers and those attending the country’s Gaelcholáistí with a high standard of Irish. The main objective of this course will be to develop language leadership skills among the participants. More information is available from the college at claire@uisce.ie

Minister Heather Humphreys, T.D., joined President of the GAA Aogán Ó Fearghail and Director General Páraic Duffy in July to announce plans to host a commemorative event at Croke Park next year to mark the Centenary of the Easter Rising.